LRD guides and handbook May 2013

Law at Work 2013

Chapter 8

Statutory Maternity Leave start date

A woman can start her statutory maternity leave any time from eleven weeks before the start of the week the baby is due. If she is off work because of pregnancy in the four weeks before the maternity leave is due to start, the employer can require her to start her leave early. Sometimes an employer will agree to overlook odd days of pregnancy-related absence during this period.